Virginia Historical Society facts for kids
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The museum building in 2021
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| Established | 1831 |
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| Location | 428 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia |
| Type | History museum |
The Virginia Museum of History and Culture is a special place in Richmond, Virginia. It started in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society. Today, it is a main center for learning about Virginia's history.
This museum is a private, non-profit group. It gets most of its support from donations. In 2004, it became the official historical society for Virginia. In 2018, its main building changed its name to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
The museum has many exhibits and activities for everyone. It has over 25,000 square feet of gallery space. You can see the largest collection of Virginia artifacts here. It is the only museum that covers all of Virginia's history. This includes all time periods, regions, and topics.
Contents
What the Museum Does
The museum's main goal is to connect people to America's past. It does this by sharing the amazing story of Virginia. The museum collects, saves, and explains Virginia's history. By doing this, it links the past with today. It also helps inspire future generations.
Museum History
How It Started
On December 29, 1831, twenty-eight important Virginians met. They were leaders in politics, business, and society. They met in the Virginia State Capitol building. Their goal was to create a state historical society. They called it the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society.
Virginia was changing a lot back then. Many people were moving out of the state. This made some people feel disconnected from Virginia's "golden age." The new society wanted to save the memory of Virginia's important colonial and Revolutionary past. To help it succeed, they chose Chief Justice John Marshall as its first president. Former president James Madison became its first honorary member.
Growing Over Time
In its early years, the society collected many different things. These included natural history items, old artifacts, and written materials. It also published old documents and speeches. But it didn't have much money or a permanent home.
In 1848, the society shortened its name to the Virginia Historical Society. This showed that it focused mostly on history. It became more active in publishing historical materials. In 1893, the society got its first permanent building in Richmond. Its journal, the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, has been published every three months since 1893.
In the 1950s, the society got more money. This allowed them to hire professional staff. Over the next few decades, the museum's collections grew a lot. Its publishing work also increased. The society became very important in the world of history studies.
New Home and Expansions
In 1959, the historical society moved to Battle Abbey. This building was built in 1912. To fit the society, a new four-story part was added. Since 1959, the museum building has been updated and made bigger many times.
In 1992, the society opened the Center for Virginia History. This added more display and archive space. Soon after, it teamed up with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. This state agency also had many historical items. This created a special partnership between a private group and the state government.
In 2018, the Virginia Historical Society changed the name of its main building. It became The Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This happened after a lot of research and talks with the community.
In 2019, the street where the museum is located was renamed. It is now Arthur Ashe Boulevard. This honors Arthur Ashe, a famous tennis player. He grew up in Richmond. But he was not allowed to play tennis at the white-only courts. Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win major tennis championships.
Museum Programs
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture has many educational programs. These are especially helpful for students and teachers. Some programs go to school classrooms. There are also guided tours of the exhibits. Teachers can attend workshops and summer training.
The museum offers lectures for members in the evenings. It also has about 20 free lectures for the public every year. You can find recordings of past lectures on the museum's website.
One important exhibit is The Story of Virginia. This long-term exhibit shows 16,000 years of Virginia history. It starts with the oldest Native American tools. It goes all the way to Virginia at the start of the 21st century.
Virginia House
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| Established | 1928 |
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| Location | 4301 Sulgrave Road Richmond, Virginia |
Virginia House is a unique building in Richmond, Virginia. It sits on a hill overlooking the James River. It was built in 1928 by Alexander W. Weddell and his wife, Virginia Weddell. They used parts from a 16th-century English manor house. This old house used to be in Warwick, England.
Virginia House blended three old English Tudor styles. It was also a very modern home for its time. It had seven bathrooms, central heating, a modern kitchen, and large closets.
Today, the Virginia Historical Society owns and runs Virginia House as a museum. The house looks much like it did when the Weddells lived there. The gardens and grounds are beautiful all year. They have nearly 1,000 types of plants.
See also
- List of historical societies in Virginia
